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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · net · firm · squash · track · rest · chest · roll

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. squash — the sport
  5. net — in sport
  6. firm — steady
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. rest — a break
  10. track — a song
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. branch — a division
  13. roll — a list
  14. chest — of your body
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. firm — a company
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. firm — decided
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com